SCANDAL

Rupert's Son Approved Private Payment

James Murdoch was aware of settlement with phone-hacking private eye.

Rupert Murdoch's son James, the head of News International, supported the decision to settle for $1.2 million when it was revealed that the News of the World, a paper owned by the Murdoch family, employed someone who hacked into the phone of the head of England's professional soccer league. "James Murdoch was apprised of the situation and agreed with our recommendation to settle," the News of the World editor told parliament Tuesday. "It was an agreed collective decision." Those testifying from News of the World did not respond to a question about whether media mogul Rupert Murdoch knew of the agreement. The former editor of News of the World, now the Conservative party's communications director, said that no other journalists were aware of the phone hacking. He told MPs that his own phone had been hacked by the private investigator.